


Black, White, and Gray

by FangsofLightening



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: M/M, stuck during a snowstorm
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-12
Updated: 2018-06-12
Packaged: 2019-05-21 05:15:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14909042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FangsofLightening/pseuds/FangsofLightening
Summary: As it turns out, being stuck during a snowstorm is a great time for important discussions.





	Black, White, and Gray

**Author's Note:**

> For the ffxvrarepairs week. Prompts: Black and White, and Learning.
> 
> I hate the title.

"Are you certain we cannot leave?" 

"You are welcome to go out and see the storm for yourself." 

Ravus was still on the couch, sitting with his arms crossed and one leg up to rest over the knee of the other. He was understandably irritated. They weren't supposed to be here that long, and judging by this storm...

"We may be here a while." 

At least all night, if it was anything like the storms Loqi had grown up with.

"The power hasn't gone out yet, so that's a good sign." Probably.

Hopefully they'd be lucky. This... small house was cold enough without losing power. 

Ravus didn't respond or voice any opinions when Loqi turned on the television. Nor did he have anything to say about every channel being unavailable. 

"Looks like reception's terrible with that storm," Loqi said. 

With the mood Ravus seemed to be in, glowering out the window the way he was, it was going to be a long night. Loqi quietly sighed and turned the television off. 

For a few minutes, neither of them said anything. Sitting together on the couch in silence was not Loqi's idea of a good way to spend time. He'd rather be doing something. Anything really, but preferably with Ravus. 

"I think there are cards around here somewhere," Loqi said. 

"I do not play cards." 

"We should do something. Sitting here in silence is boring." 

Ravus looked at him and didn't say anything. 

There was one thing Loqi could think of. Not only would it give them something to do, but they could get warmer in the process. Learn a few things about each other. Ravus wouldn't go for it.

"I could teach you how to play." 

"Are you certain there are even cards for us to play a game with?" 

No, he wasn't. Loqi got to his feet and stretched.

"I'll have a look around." 

He finally found cards, but playing with just two people got boring after half an hour.

"We could... Take turns telling a story." 

Loqi leaned back on the counter and watched Ravus glare at whatever pitiful amount of food was in the refrigerator. 

"I do not tell stories." 

"You tell plenty of stories." Loqi smiled. "Like the one where the Oracle of Eos somehow manages to hide from MTs and no one has seen her. Or the one where Prince Noctis somehow hasn't been seen by any of the civilians and just manages to avoid capture every time his location does become known."

The wide-eyed look was an interesting one for Ravus. Now that he had started, there was no point in stopping. Even though he should, with Ravus being his superior and all.

"My favorite is the one about an ex-prince who sides with the people that took everything from him. Without an ulterior motive and willingly, he would have them think." 

There it was. The narrowed eyes, the tight frown. Ravus slammed the refrigerator closed and stalked over to Loqi. 

"Is there something you would like to say to me, General Tummelt?" 

Ravus was standing at his full height, glowering down at Loqi. Rather than the reaction he ought to have had, the intimidated one Ravus was likely hoping for, Loqi crossed his arms and stared up to meet Ravus' gaze.

"I would like to know what you're up to." 

Ravus scoffed. 

"You are reading farther into things than is necessary." 

"No. I'm paying attention. I may not be the smartest, but I can tell when something's off." 

"Like how you've noticed Chancellor Izunia only cares for himself, and the empire has an unnatural interest in the workings of daemons."

"That's-"

Not anything Loqi wanted to think about. Things he actively avoided thinking about, in fact. 

"If you must know, I do not care for Niflheim, nor do I care for Lucis. Lunafreya's happiness and safety are all that matter to me." 

It was understandable, as much as Loqi didn't want to admit it. It wasn't exactly a secret that they had taken away everything Ravus had aside from his life and his sister's. Of course she would be the most important thing in the world to him. 

That didn't change the fact that he was a man of the empire, and Ravus was supposed to be with them. 

"You know I care about you. A lot." Loqi refused to look away from Ravus. "But I can't allow you to go against Niflheim." 

"Even despite how wrong they are? You know you-"

"I am on the right side," Loqi argued. "If it weren't for the Lucian kings, we wouldn't have the problems we do now."

"Your emperor started the war. And the Chancellor merely increased the current emperor's ambition for his own motives."

"You don't-"

"I understand far more than you realize," Ravus hissed. 

Somehow, Loqi got the impression that Ravus wasn't just speaking about the war. Before he could say anything, Ravus was continuing. 

"Fine. If Niflheim is so good and right, why did they attack Fenestala after so many years of leaving us be? Why did they murder my mother and imprison Lunafreya and myself? We did nothing to deserve any of it." 

Loqi stared up at Ravus, unsure what exactly he was supposed to say. There really wasn't a way to justify what had happened. Especially to Ravus. 

"Aiding King Regis and Prince Noctis?" 

The uncertainty of his own voice almost made Loqi wince. 

"Doing her duty as Oracle was cause for her death?" 

The attack on Fenestala twelve years ago was one of those things Loqi did his best to not think hard about. Oracle Sylva had sided with Lucis by aiding the prince. Fenestala itself had not been under Niflheim rule at the time; the only section of Tenebrae left to the Oracles and her family. 

Loqi shook his head in answer to Ravus' question.

"Aiding Lucis while Tenebrae was under Niflheim rule was cause for her death." 

"That is an excuse and you know it." 

The occasional times he let his mind wander where it shouldn't go, Loqi did. He realized a lot of things when it was too quiet and there was nothing to do but think. Usually, he pushed those realizations to the back of his mind. 

"Niflheim desired the power of the Oracle," Ravus said. "What better way to gain that power than to murder my mother and give my sister no choice but to cooperate with them? She _was_ a mere twelve years old." 

The same age Loqi had been. He winced and looked to the side. What exactly had happened to the Nox Fleuret siblings after the occupation, he had never asked. Because it was never any of his business, but also because a part of him he tried to keep silent knew he didn't want to know. 

_Niflheim is doing the right thing. Everyone else is at fault._ He repeated it to himself now as Ravus marched out of the room. He didn't believe it. 

A lot of things, when he stopped and thought, didn't add up with what he was told. 

He had been told the prince- now uncrowned king- of Lucis was the cause of all the world's problems. Yet the Chancellor wanted him alive, for some reason, and the daemons caused far more problems than Noctis ever did.

He didn't even want to start thinking about what the Magitek troops really were. Not that he was even told much about how exactly they came into being. 

The High Commander himself didn't care about the empire- also wasn't born in Niflheim, which was unusual- and Loqi always had a difficult time justifying what had happened at Fenestala once he'd gotten to know the Fleurets. 

Loqi looked at the doorway and sighed. Tonight was going to be awkward no matter what he did, so he might as well go talk.

Ravus was not crying. Not loudly, anyway. With his face turned to the window again and his arms crossed over his chest. Looking at the grip he had on his magitek arm, Loqi could guess what he was thinking. 

Making sure not to touch him or get in the man's personal space, Loqi joined him on the couch. It took a few moments for him to gather his thoughts and speak. 

"You're right," Loqi admitted. "And you have every reason not to side with Niflheim." 

Much as that pained him to say. 

"I suppose I ought to prepare myself for execution." 

"You're protecting your sister." Loqi leaned back into the cushions. "No one can fault you for that." 

Loqi hated that this wasn't black and white. That was something he could deal with. Gray was difficult. It required questioning everything. The possibility of deciding against what you'd always believed in. What you had been taught your entire life. 

He supposed that was also a side effect of falling in love. Love was the reason he had even started questioning. 

"But... You're still..." 

"I am not directly opposing the empire," Ravus said. 

That's what made it so hard. 

"Why couldn't this be a black and white situation," Loqi groaned. 

"You will find that anything rarely is. Especially when humans are involved." Ravus sighed. "Eventually, you realize that you cannot sort people into categories due to any one aspect of their character or person. Judging people based off of such a black and white mentality is not only unfair, but it shows a disregard for the complexities of humans." 

Loqi looked over at him again rather than continuing to stare up at the ceiling. 

"You sound as if you have had a lot of experience with that." 

"I have learned much from Lunafreya." Ravus actually looked at him again. "Aranea and yourself also helped to solidify the lesson."

So Ravus paid more attention to everyone around him than Loqi had first thought. That wasn't terribly surprising, especially if he had been reading Ravus properly for the past month or two. 

"You, for instance," Ravus continued. "If I were to judge you based off of a single trait, I would say you are a terrible person simply because you are a Niff." 

"Hey. I know what happened twelve years ago was awful, but that's no reason to-"

"You understand the point I am making, then." 

For a brief moment, Loqi thought a smile had been on Ravus' face. Another time, he might've commented just to see what reaction he'd get. Instead, he answered Ravus' not question.

"Base a person off themselves, don't judge off a single trait, and"

"Think for yourself, no matter how much the empire would rather you didn't." 

Well. That had some treasonous implications. 

Loqi scooted over to sit right next to Ravus.

"Now that you have delivered a life lesson to me, I say we change the subject and address what we have both been dancing around for the past month." 

There was a definite nervousness to Ravus' gaze now. 

Rather than say anything, Loqi gently grabbed Ravus' chin to keep him from moving away and kissed him. 

"I love you and your nearly treasonous opinions, simple as that."


End file.
